ISTANBUL

Employing the evocative power of art, an impassioned Turkish art teacher, inspired by Israeli attacks on Gaza, spearheads the Rebel of Art: Echoes of Emotion in Palestine exhibition in Türkiye's eastern province of Erzurum.

It compels everyone to ponder the destruction of war and the tragic human consequences by adapting 12 world-renowned works.

"The expressive capacity of art possesses the ability to resonate across the entire universe, so I sought to amplify the voice of the Palestinian people enduring current Israeli attacks and oppressions by harnessing the iconic language of renowned painters on a global scale," Yakup Dursun, a painter and art instructor at the Raci Alkir Fine Arts High School in Erzurum, told Anadolu.

Drawing inspiration from timeless masterpieces from Picasso and Kahlo, Dursun adeptly expressed the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, underscoring the unsettling continuity with Picasso's Guernica, painted during World War II, as a poignant reminder of the enduring nature of such strife.

"The power of art can transition from Guernica to Gaza, as the shared tragedy witnessed and experienced by the people remains unchanged,” said Dursun.

He highlighted the presence of the Le Penseur statue in one of the paintings, asserting that the statue symbolizes the "modern human" amid the ongoing war, signifying humanity's struggle to choose a side and take action to halt the conflict.

“The Girl with the Pearl Earring has become deeply ingrained in popular culture, evolving into a symbol associated with consumerism despite her anonymous identity. She has the potential to be seamlessly integrated into various contexts and narratives,” he said.

Commenting on the painting, he noted: "The innocence and unease captured on her face, I thought, could be correlated with a protest against war. Indeed, a reverse perspective assumes a more empathetic stance."

Dursun added that Rene Magritte's Son of Man painting symbolizes the redemption of an innocent child brutally killed in Gaza.

"Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa painting encapsulates a narrative that involves the perseverance of resistance and the attainment of freedom. In the second painting, Mona Lisa, cradling a baby rescued from the war, voices a poignant protest against child deaths,” he said.

Dursun added that in his adaptation of Johannes Vermeer’s painting The Milkmaid, the milk symbolically represents hope and peace in Gaza.

"The adaptation of Van Gogh’s Starry Night symbolizes a dream -- a Palestine adorned with peace and free from the shadows of war,” he said.

Dursun ended by quoting Picasso: "Do you see art as a painting that adorns your walls, matching your furniture? This is a wrong definition. Art is a weapon. When used correctly and appropriately, art becomes a unique weapon."